By Joel Weiner
Born in Ottawa and raised in Sandy Hill and Lowertown, Mathieu Fleury was just 24 years old when he launched his first campaign for a seat in the 2010 municipal election. He had barely turned 25 when he became Councillor representing the large, populous ward of Rideau-Vanier and its historic Lowertown neighbourhood.
Today, still young at 37, Fleury is a seasoned political veteran with three successive 4-year terms under his belt. He’s also held a string of high-profile positions that include serving as Ottawa’s Sports Commissioner, sitting on both the Transportation and the Community and Protective Services Committees, and, for the past 8 years, chairing the Ottawa Community Housing Board, the city’s largest landlord. At the same time, he’s had to deal with many of Ottawa’s huge challenges that impacted specifically on Lowertown in recent years.
Widely considered to be well qualified for the mayoralty and a likely winner had he vied for the top spot this time around, Fleury surprised almost everyone by recently announcing that he will not be a candidate in the upcoming election on October 24. Now married and a father, his priorities have understandably shifted to a more structured family life and the opportunities that may await him outside the political realm.
Exit interviews are often used in organizations when people leave to discuss and learn from their reasons and experience. Accordingly, The Echo asked for an exit interview with Councillor Fleury and he agreed.
Question
What led to your decision to exit municipal politics at this time?
I’ve been blessed to have represented Lowertown for the last 12 years. But it seemed to me after the last election that I had to choose between two paths going forward – either run for Mayor in 2022 or complete my third term and then step down. Ultimately, I decided that it’s important to pass the baton and bring in fresh, new ideas for both the community and its leadership. However, I’m certainly not going anywhere: I’ll be here to assist the community and the future Councillor in any way that I can.
Question
You say that you’ll be around to assist the community. Have you got any ideas of how you might want to do that?
Well, I’m very passionate about a number of issues that we’ve worked on over the years – youth, the King Edward truck route, the ByWard Market, housing and addiction. At this stage, I don’t know what my next project will be outside of politics, but I’m actively looking and my contribution to the ward may very well come in that context. If not, I’ll remain a resource for advice and other input to make sure that there’s community continuity, especially in areas where there are still roadblocks to resolution.
Question
There are at least three distinct communities in Rideau-Vanier ward – Lowertown Sandy Hill and Vanier. As Councillor, did you find that they had divergent issues or competing interests and, if so, how did you balance them in your work?
Yes, we do have three distinct neighborhoods that differ from each other, but I don’t see their issues as conflicting. Although people live in and care about their specific community, they also recognize that the three areas together constitute the city’s core and, as a result, have many similar interests, aspirations and objectives. It is true that there are particular chronic challenges that one neighborhood might face more severely than the others. For example, issues like the truck route, the outdated response to addiction, mental health and housing, and the ByWard Market are obviously very unique to Lowertown. But I would say that residents living in Sandy Hill and Vanier are certainly aware of those realities and don’t ignore them.
Question
But speaking of Lowertown specifically, what did you as Councillor see as our most pressing issues?
Everyone recognizes that they live in Lowertown but it’s not actually completely homogeneous. Are you in the Market of Lowertown or the Rideau Street of Lowertown? Are you east of King Edward or in the residential section on the western side? Are you in Ottawa Community Housing or the rental buildings on Wurtemburg? So, there are, in fact, a number of Lowertowns, but I think they all face the same chronic challenges because of incoherent policies, funding gaps and different approaches by the various levels of government.
The truck route through downtown and King Edward is one example. It’s a chronic problem that preceded my time in office and still hasn’t been resolved. It’s been talked about for almost 60 years but we’re still confronted by it. It’s a complex issue, to be sure, but the City’s position is often inconsistent and uncoordinated, and that adds to the complexity. Also, I think that Ontario has been left off the hook because it still hasn’t connected Highway 417 to an interprovincial crossing. That’s the Ministry of Transportation’s responsibility, one that it hasn’t fulfilled regardless of which party is in power. That’s why we still have a constant stream of huge trucks and other traffic rumbling through our residential areas and downtown streets, with pollution, noise, congestion and danger to pedestrians the unfortunate result. I think it also hampers economic development in the city at large. Hawkesbury, by the way, is in exactly the same position – you have to go right through its downtown to get from the 417 in Ontario to the 148 or 50 in Quebec.
Homelessness is another chronic issue. It’s city-wide, of course, but obviously manifests itself on some streets of Lowertown. I recognize that the faith groups do great work in supporting these vulnerable people, but it hasn’t evolved to the level that we need today, especially when you add severe addictions to the mix. We put a lot of band aids on the problem but the approach really needs a full reset.
The Byward Market is also an issue. It’s a gem for the entire city and the tourists, but it has special meaning for Lowertown residents – it’s our front and back yard. I was successful in bringing forward the ByWard Market Public Realm Plan and getting it approved by City Council, but it remains unfunded even while we see huge investments in Lansdowne Park. And that’s a big issue. You know that, together with the city, the Market will celebrate its 200th anniversary in 2026. That leaves just four years for us to make and complete the necessary investments that will restore the Market to its historic glory and make it a centrepiece of the bicentennial. I’ll be working to do what I can to support the next Mayor and Councillors in addressing this and the other issues I’m passionate about.
Question
You just mentioned one of your big accomplishments in connection with the Market. What else would you add to the list of your achievements as our Councillor?
There’s a number of areas, I think. Certainly, the revitalization of Rideau Street and the elements that tie into that like, in the pedestrian realm, some of the street closures and the rethinking of the roadway. Rideau Street could have easily become a five-lane highway with just a new look. Instead, we’ve got the infrastructure set up so that it functions like a traditional Main Street where retail business has been significantly expanded in a way that reflects the community. There’s also the LRT station and now a real connection between Rideau Street and the ByWard Market. So, the street is not just another high-rise corridor but one that has an identity and offers opportunities for Lowertown residents to live and work, with easy access to local retailers,
The revitalization of Lowertown parks is another area. The first big project was Jules Morin Park. I grew up in that area and I learned to skate and play hockey at the outdoor rink there, so I’m particularly proud of that result. We’ve now got basketball courts in King Edward Park, refurbished tennis courts in Bordeleau Park, and minor but meaningful success in Cathcart Park. We’re well on track to see future investments in Lowertown parks; I’ve seen the plans and we should be able to start consultations on them very soon.
Then there’s also the important work we’ve done with the community to help define and protect the character of Lowertown. That includes the designation of a heritage conservation districts and promoting the designation of buildings such as the York Street School and the Champagne Baths.
Question
What do you consider to be your major legacy?
When I started in 2010, I was one of the first Councillors to use social media, and I launched an initiative of doing a video every week for 12 years. What’s that in terms of legacy? It’s the approach of really engaging with the community, consulting with and updating residents, writing in the local newspapers like The Echo. I’m also very proud of the stable team that I’ve been able to build over the years at City Hall. They understand the issues and work well with the community, a great example of effective engagement. So that’s the legacy that I hope the next Councillor will recognize – the need to be present, active, responsive and bring communities together. It’s so easy sometimes to work with one particular interest group at the expense of another. But I’ve always tried to bring folks together, to have conversations, to maybe disagree on some elements but ultimately have open conversations and reach an agreement. So, beyond the bricks and mortar of a park redo or a street revitalization or meaningful policies and so on, I think the legacy I leave is that of a young, active, passionate and effective Councillor who served his ward and his constituents well.
Question
Do you have any specific advice for your successor, whomever he or she may be?
Well, I have two kinds of two advice, one for the community and the other for the next Councillor. I think we have a wonderful community. It’s been extremely rewarding to work with leaders, with different interests and backgrounds, to try to improve our neighborhood. I think it’s important to recognize the volunteerism that takes place in the community and support it. So, this is really a strong plea for residents who see challenges in Lowertown or in the ByWard Market to join the Lowertown Community Association, be part of a working committee, or write in the Echo and so on. The community is only as strong as this involvement, collaboration and cohesion.
My advice to my successor is to show up at every City Hall committee. Don’t wait to be invited. And if there’s a community meeting, be there. If there’s a particular issue, work with the committee on the best governance approach to advance the conversation. Don’t try to do it alone. Bring chairs of City committees, bring city staff, bring the Mayor and the Mayor’s office into these conversations.
Question
You’ve had a range of responsibilities at City Hall and in the community. How has this experience affected you? Have you gained some skills or an understanding of how the world works that will help you in whatever you do next?
Absolutely! This has been a Ph.D. in life in many ways. I’ve interacted at the doorstep on real issues that residents face, then understood and advanced them in very tangible ways. I’ve seen aspirations and concerns of communities and associations that are complex and can easily polarize perspectives, and I’ve learned how to bring them together. I understand governance, I understand funding, I understand some of the historic models of social services, recreation, transit planning. These are fields that I could have never have experienced other than being in this role. And I’ve learned crisis management through the curveballs that come this way. I’ve lived through the Rideau Street sinkhole, the LRT failures, floods, tornadoes, power outages, the pandemic and the truckers’ occupation. I’ve learned how to respond to events like these and how to support communities in those kinds of situations. That I think is very hard to learn unless you live it in position of power, not only because of my role as a local Councillor, but also because of my role as Chair of Ottawa Community Housing. All that experience has given me knowledge and confidence to apply to whatever I do next.